Kari Virtanen

Kari Virtanen has been involved with the design and constuction of furniture since the age of 14 years old. Beginning as an apprentice to a carpenter, he later founded his own workshop at the age of 19, working with some of Finland's biggest designers such as Alvar Aalto and Kaj Franck.

Virtanen's workshop became Nikari, one of Finland's highly respected furniture manufacturers. Based in the village of Fiskars, the factory is Finland's oldest furniture manufacturing plant, a suitable location both for Nikari's longstanding reputation, and Kari Virtanen's ethos of high quality furniture that is built to last.